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MMA, boxing to get oversight in B.C. via new athletic commissioner position

Nick Ring of Calgary (red gloves) defeats James Head of Oklahoma City, Okla., during their UFC 131 middleweight bout at Rogers Arena in Vancouver in June 2011.

Photograph by: Jenelle Schneider
, PNG

The B.C. government’s proposal to establish a provincial athletic commissioner has been resoundingly praised in boxing and mixed martial arts circles in the province, with predictions that it will bring more UFC events to Vancouver, bring safety and uniformity to pugilistic sports and lure some of the more shadowy events into the mainstream.

“The biggest change we will see is the fact that UFC will hopefully come back to British Columbia because they don’t have to deal with city hall in Vancouver,” said Dave Teixeira, a longtime advocate for combat sports in the province. The glitzy Las Vegas-based organization has brought its show to Vancouver twice — in 2010 and 2011 — but has passed over it this year largely because it found other jurisdictions to be easier to deal with. Calgary, Toronto and Montreal are hosting UFC cards this year.

Teixeira said the Union of British Columbia Municipalities has long been looking for a provincial body to bring some uniformity to these sports.

“It’s a way to grow the sport,” he added.

On Monday, Community, Sport and Cultural Development Minister Ida Chong introduced Bill 50, the Athletic Commission Act, in the legislature.

The commissioner’s office would regulate and supervise professional contests such as boxing, kick-boxing and mixed martial arts. The legislation would not apply to amateur contests.

Its primary focus would be to ensure the safety of competitors and officials.

If local governments do not want such contests to take place in their communities, they would be able to prohibit these events by passing a bylaw.

“Right now, local governments can establish local athletic commissions to oversee this, but we have seen they are inconsistent and obviously we are worried about the safety of the athletes and the officials,” Chong said in Victoria Monday.

There are nine local athletics commissions in place across the province. Once the legislation is passed, the province will repeal all the local authorities, and replace them with a new provincial one.

“You don’t want two sets of rules,” Chong said.

Former Olympic boxer Manny Sobral, who stages boxing and MMA events in the Lower Mainland, described the news as fantastic.

“I think that is going to help the safety of boxers and possibly prevent a tragedy from happening,” he said.

Sobral said it will make things easier for competitors who will have to submit their medicals to only one authority – the provincial commission – rather than to separate municipal athletic commissions.

Now, he said there are underground competitions going on where you don’t need a commission. Sobral predicts this will flush them out and make they comply with safety standards.

Darren Owen, president of Armageddon Fighting Championship, applauded the move, saying it will clean up the sport.

“I think it will deter some of the companies that try to fly under the radar and aren’t doing things the right way,” he said.

“There’s definitely a lot of guys out there that aren’t doing things the right way. It gives the sport a really bad name and it’s unsafe. This will take the sport to the next level.”

Owen added he thinks the move will also be what it takes to attract big matches to B.C.

“The UFC is obviously the big leagues. They have stopped coming to Vancouver. because this hasn’t been sorted out,” he said.

“Now, with this in place, I definitely foresee the UFC coming back, and bringing millions of dollars to the province of B.C.”

Veteran Victoria-based promotor Stan Peterec agreed.

“I think it will put everybody on the same page. It’s just good to have everybody following the same set of rules. It’s about time.”

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